An outbreak of E.coli did not lead to greater risk of heart disease or stroke 10 years later, a Canadian study has found.

E.coli O157:H7 was the cause of an outbreak in Walkerton in May 2000 which led to 2,300 people becoming ill and seven deaths.

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), examined this area because the bacterium can damage the kidneys and cause high blood pressure.

The study involved 898 adults who had consumed drinking water that was polluted by cow manure.

Dr. Amit Garg, a kidney specialist and professor of medicine, epidemiology at Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, said: “Although we definitely want to avoid anyone getting infected in the first place, this new information is reassuring for those who develop an infection from E.coli O157:H7."

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